Create Your Own Planisphere

Many families don’t camp in this day and age, so most kids are missing out on a lot.  It’s a shame, because God’s wonders are free of charge and open 24/7.  I applaud the fact that GSUSA decided to make the outdoors a priority recently and offer new badges (and the requirements are free of charge – bonus!).

Now that I’ve gotten that comment out of the way, here’s a pretty cool activity you can do with your troop that they can take home.  One of the neat thing about Scouts is that you never know what will pique a child’s interest that eventually blossoms in the future.   It sounds pretty cheesy, but it’s true!

A planisphere is also called a star wheel.  You match up the current date and time on the wheel, and voilà!  You’ve got a map of the stars and constellations in the current nighttime sky.  It takes a little while to get the hang of it, and it’s not perfect.   But it points you in the right direction.

The title sounds like a carnival ride, but Uncle Al’s Sky Wheels has files that you can download and print off for free.  Just print them on cardstock and away you go!  There are detailed instructions on the website.  Our troop made them during our camping trip at CME, although we didn’t really get to use them due to too much light pollution and trees blocking the view.  But the girls liked being able to take them home and seemed enthusiastic while they were making them.

Happy stargazing!  Added note:  For updated stargazing information on the current date, visit StarDate.org.